I 

I 


i 


•an  a 


.IK - — 

J]£\  "  "  ■ 

:tr  * — ii*  ~ 

- -X— - 

^ALLS  ft^OM  TtlE 

fOf^fusrJ  Field 


PAM. 

ED.  MISS. 


Nwii  of  lighpr  (Ebristiau 
lEimratum  in  3lapan 


APAN  as  a  nation  is  rap¬ 
idly  becoming  one  of  the 
best  educated  nations  in 
the  world;  and  it  will  not 
respect,  still  less  be  deeply  influ¬ 
enced  by,  a  Christianity  that  is  not 
both  in  spirit  and  endeavor  mani¬ 
festly  educational. 


The  present  attitude  of  Buddhism 
is  highly  significant.  Seven  years 
ago  there  were  only  five  Buddhist 
schools  above  the  elementary  grades 
having  a  total  of  367  students;  two 
years  ago  there  were  fifteen  with  an 
enrollment  of  more  than  a  thousand. 
Most  of  the  students  in  these  schools 
are  being  trained  for  the  priesthood ; 
but  besides  these  there  are  a  number 
of  higher  schools  maintained  by  the 
Buddhists  which  are  open  to  all. 
When  Buddhism  is  multiplying  its 
schools  Christianity  can  not  be  inert 
without  suffering  reproach  and  loss. 


1 


In  lands  where  Christian  homes 
and  Christian  Churches  and  other 
Christian  institutions  abound,  Secon¬ 
dary  and  Higher  Christian  Educa¬ 
tion  is  a  strong  auxiliary  force  to 
build  up  boys  and  young  men  into 
the  highest  type  of  manhood.  In 
Japan  today  it  is  a  necessity.  There 
is  nothing  else  that  takes  its  place. 

Christians  in  Japan  in  comparison 
with  the  nation  are  but  a  handful; 
but  they  are  a  growing  body,  and 
they  need  Christian  schools  to  which 
to  send  their  sons  and  daughters. 
Many  of  those  now  in  the  Christian 
schools  are  the  children  of  Christian 
parents  who  themselves  learned  of 
Christianity  in  the  Christian  schools. 

The  entire  State  System  of  Educa¬ 
tion  from  the  Primary  School  to  the 
University  is  in  principle  non-re¬ 
ligious.  Under  the  circumstances 
this  could  not  be  otherwise.  Japan 
is  the  meeting  place  of  Shintoism, 
Buddhism,  and  Christianity;  and  the 
great  majority  of  the  people  are 
non-Christian.  Any  attempt  to  in- 


2 


KINDERGARTEN  AT  KANAZAWA.  MISS  MAYO  STANDS  AT  THE  EXTREME  LEFT  OF  THE  PICTURE. 


troduce  instruction  in  religion  in 
institutions  maintained  by  public 
funds  would  do  more  harm  than 
good;  it  would  create  endless  con¬ 
fusion  and  awake  bitter  opposition; 
such  an  attempt  would  be  neither 
wise  nor  just.  Nevertheless  the  fact 
remains  that  the  majority  of  students 
in  Japan  pass  the  most  formative 
period  of  their  lives  in  an  environ¬ 
ment  in  which  religion  has  no  part; 
and  the  result  is  already  constantly 
and  increasingly  in  evidence. 

Nor  is  this  all.  Not  only  are  the 
State  institutions  non-religious;  in 
many  cases  their  influence  is  posi¬ 
tively  unfavorable  to  Christianity.  It 
is  true  that  the  Imperial  Constitution 
guarantees  freedom  of  personal 
faith.  But  the  majority  of  the  prin¬ 
cipals  and  teachers  in  these  institu¬ 
tions  are  indifferent  to  religion. 
Many  of  them  are  thoroughgoing 
materialists  or  agnostics;  and  some 
of  them  are  actively  hostile  to  Chris¬ 
tianity.  This  is  the  air  which  the 
students  breathe;  this  is  the  current 


4 


which  boys  and  young  men  from 
Christian  surroundings  must  breast. 
The  result  is  not  to  be  wondered  at. 
Many  of  the  students  outstrip  their 
teachers  in  their  indifferentism  and 
scepticism. 

The  results  of  Secondary  and 
Higher  Christian  Education  in  Japan 
already  noted  are  themselves  a  wit¬ 
ness  in  its  behalf.  It  has  made 
friends  for  Christianity.  It  has 
lodged  in  the  minds  of  many  the 
fundamental  truths  of  Christianity; 
has  led  many  to  accept  it  as  the  rule 
of  their  own  faith  and  living;  and 
has  established  many  from  Christian 
homes  in  Christian  knowledge  and 
character.  It  has  added  an  element 
of  strength  to  the  Churches  now 
planted  and  growing.  It  has  given 
the  Churches  their  ministry. 

Hautri)  a  (Christian  (Cnllrgr 
fnr  Mnmrn 

The  Japanese  Christians  and  the 
foreign  missionaries  in  Japan  are 
united  in  their  conviction  that  one  of 


5 


A  GROUP  OF  STUDENTS  AND  GRADUATES  OF  THE  HOKURIKU  JO  GAKKO  TAKEN  ON  THE 
OCCASION  OF  THE  TWENTY-FIFTH  ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE  SCHOOL. 


the  greatest  needs  of  Japan,  and  of 
Christianity  in  Japan,  is  a  union  col¬ 
lege  for  women  to  be  established  in 
Tokyo.  The  Government  has  no 
universities  or  college  for  women 
and  does  not  admit  women  to  the 
higher  institutions  provided  for  men. 
The  “new  woman”  in  Japan  is  in 
danger  of  being  swept  away  by  ag¬ 
nostic  and  nihilistic  tendencies  of 
thought.  She  needs,  and  both  Japan 
and  the  Christian  Church  in  Japan 
need,  a  school  of  college  grade  pro¬ 
viding  true  Christian  education. 

The  missions  have  united  in  the 
establishment  of  such  an  institu¬ 
tion,  each  of  the  co-operating 
churches  undertaking  to  provide 
an  annual  contribution.  Five  de¬ 
nominations  have  united  on  this 
basis  with  the  prospect  that  they 
will  be  joined  by  two  more.  As  the 
Presbyterian  Board  has  four  girls’ 
schools  of  its  own  and  one  which  it 
maintains  jointly  with  the  Reformed 
Board,  it  is  responsible  annually  for 
$3,150  toward  running  expenses. 


7 


and  is  expected  to  provide  four  and 
one-half  units  of  capital  equipment, 
amounting  at  $5,000  per  unit,  to 
$22,500.  The  Board  is  seeking  con¬ 
tributions  toward  this  equipment  and 
subscriptions  to  cover  for  the  next 
few  years  its  share  in  the  cost  of 
maintenance. 

ilftjt  (ijalumt 

The  Meiji  Gakuin  is  one  of  the 
older  and  best  known  mission 
schools  for  boys  in  Japan.  For 
many  years  it  has  been  under  the 
management  of  a  Board  of  Trustees 
representing  the  Church  of  Christ  in 
Japan  and  the  Missions  of  the  Pres¬ 
byterian  and  Reformed  Churches. 
It  is  the  only  boys’  school  of  the 
Presbyterian  Board  in  Japan  and 
this  Board  with  the  Board  of  the 
Reformed  Church  has  aided  the 
school  by  providing  missionary 
teachers  and  a  maintenance  con¬ 
tribution.  It  is  indispensable  that 
the  institution  should  be  strength¬ 
ened  both  that  it  may  provide  lead- 


8 


A  GROUP  OF  MEIJI  CAKUIN  STUDENTS  AND  SOME  OF  THE  FACULTY,  TOKYO 


ership  for  the  churches  in  Japan  and 
that  it  may  help  the  missions  in 
Chosen  by  furnishing  Christian  Jap¬ 
anese  teachers  for  the  mission 
schools  there,  in  order  that  history 
and  ethics  may  be  taught  in  these 
schools  with  no  gloss  of  anti-Chris¬ 
tian  myth. 

(Ehriatiau  llniwratg 

A  Promoting  Committee  repre¬ 
senting  the  Missions’  schools  in 
Japan  is  urging  upon  the  home 
Boards  the  establishment  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian  University  providing  graduate 
courses  equivalent  to  those  of  the 
Imperial  University  as  a  completion 
of  the  work  of  the  Missions’  colleges, 
like  the  Meiji  Gakuin.  The  prac¬ 
ticability  of  such  an  undertaking  is 
now  under  consideration  by  a  joint 
Committee  representing  the  Ameri¬ 
can  and  Canadian  Mission  Boards 
having  work  in  Japan. 

Sljr  Simngpltstir  ©ppnrtumfg 

Never  before,  even  in  the  bright¬ 
est  years  of  a  generation  ago,  has 


10 


SOME  OF  THE  SCHOLARS  OF  THE  OTARU  SCHOOLS. 


the  door  for  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  been  so  wide  open  in  Japan 
as  it  is  to-day.  The  Japanese 
churches  and  the  Missions  are  carry¬ 
ing  on  a  three  year  Evangelistic 
Campaign  in  which  the  meetings  are 
attended  by  crowds  whether  held  in 
churches,  tents  or  public  halls.  The 
newspaper  reports  are  full  of  sym¬ 
pathy;  when  expressions  are  called 
for  the  response  is  without  prece¬ 
dent.  The  Church  of  Christ  in  Japan 
had  last  year  the  largest  number  of 
baptisms  that  it  has  ever  had,  equal¬ 
ling  1 0  per  cent,  of  its  total  mem¬ 
bership.  The  campaign  has  helped 
to  reveal  the  growing  realization  of 
the  country  that  the  old  religious 
forces  are  inadequate  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  nation  or  of  human  life. 
At  a  banquet  of  prominent  men  en¬ 
tertained  at  the  Imperial  Hotel  in 
Tokyo  by  the  evangelistic  commit¬ 
tee,  Count  Okuma,  in  reviewing  the 
half  century  of  modern  Christian 
work  in  Japan  ‘‘not-  only  acknowl¬ 
edged  the  large  contribution  made 


12 


to  the  betterment  of  society  but 
frankly  stated  his  own  convictions 
that  no  practical  solution  of  many 
pressing  problems  was  in  sight  apart 
from  Christianity.”  Abbot  Kosui, 
the  recent  head  of  the  Hongwanji 
sect  of  Buddhism  has  said  in  a 
statement  widely  quoted  among  the 
people,  ‘‘Buddhism  in  Japan  as  well 
as  in  India  and  China  is  doomed  to 
ultimate  destruction  for  it  is  out  of 
touch  with  life.” 

One  of  the  missionaries  writes  in 
the  last  report:  ‘‘We  are  impressed 
wherever  we  go  by  the  eagerness 
with  which  people  will  listen  to  the 
Gospel.  This  surely  is  a  time  of 
transition  in  this  land.  Not  long  ago 
there  was  a  festival  held  near  here 
at  one  of  the  temples  and  since  it 
was  rather  an  important  affair  we 
thought  great  crowds  would  flock  to 
it  from  all  over  this  region,  for  that 
is  the  usual  custom,  but  to  our  sur¬ 
prise  only  a  few  straggling  groups 
came  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
there  was  plenty  of  fife  and  drum 


13 


JAPANESE  TEACHER  IN  HOKURIKU  GIRLS’  SCHOOL,  IN  HER  STUDY,  KANAZAWA. 


music  and  a  side-show  performance, 
they  could  not  arouse  much  en¬ 
thusiasm. 

“Since  the  people  are  letting  go 
of  their  old  beliefs  and  supersti¬ 
tions,  it  becomes  our  duty  to  give 
them  something  to  which  they  can 
anchor  their  faith  and  that  is  the  task 
which  lies  before  the  Church  in 
Japan  to-day.  There  are  hundreds 
of  villages  in  this  section  where  we 
are,  in  which  not  one  word  of  the 
Gospel  has  ever  been  preached  and 
the  workers  are  so  few  that  it  seems 
almost  that  it  will  be  impossible  to 
evangelize  them,  but  since  it  is  our 
Father’s  work  we  trust  to  His  guid¬ 
ance  and  pray  that  He  will  send 
forth  other  laborers  to  His  Harvest.’’ 

A  wide  door  and  effectual  is 
opened.  Will  the  Church  enter  in? 


15 


“CALLS  FROM  THE  FOREIGN  FIELD” 

The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 


< 
c A 


ul 

X 

H 


C  J* 
O  c 

—  *a  « 

^  .2  g 

S  o 

^  £ 

c 

.5?  « 

<U  jC 

>H  4-» 

O 

Uh  H3 

>-i 

ai  cd 

_C  £ 

~  o 


UJ 

H 

< 

Q 


©  ~0 
JSt  c 

+*  cd 


c 

(0 


a 

_o 

13 

> 

<v 

T3 


<U 

> 

> 

be 


co 

C 

o 

I  F— 

CO 
CO 

c  ^ 

AS  2 

a  ^ 

(C  c 

l— 3  be 

‘33 

.S  5 

lZ 

CO 

O  5 

V  M-i 


*  « 
o 


CO 

4-i 
-4-i 

•  N  .  —4 

bo 


-§ « 
§  £ 
e)  bo 

D  a3 
O 

C  — 

cd 

>  _r 

Tj  -g 

o  i 
"  u 

4-» 

0  5 

SC  .2 
«  £ 
s  >» 

■£  -q 

CO 

C  g 
CL 

4-> 

• «  (L) 

co  c! 

CO  *— 

cd  ■“ 


CO 
“•  jd 

-  3 

a  be 
a> 


>> 

S 


c 

o 

•  M 

a 

o 

3 

*0 

W 


t-S 

■ft  5 

.SJ  n3 

T1  cd 


tS  *r 

> 
§-B 

lw  CO 

«  .  -  • *M 

O  O  ©  IS 
H  be  be 
-X  Jt  d 

^  sa  <e 
o  o  > 
£  U  U 


F. 

4) 


</s 

o  8 

v- 

c  "a 

S  ^ 

CO  'C 

4) 

JC 


JC 

o 

3 

JC 

U 

4) 

JC 


co 

-o 

cd 

o 

CQ 


o 

V, 

3 

a 
c 

t>0 

•  — 

CC  C/) 


-c 

cj 

u. 

3 

~C 

U 


« 

JC 


w 

o 

~o 

E 

<u 


Note — Pledges  and  gifts  should  be  sent  direct  to  Dwight  H.  Day,  Treas.,  156 
Fifth  Ave.  New  York  City,  who  will  credit  such  gifts  if  desired,  to  the  church  indicated. 


•• 


The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.S.A. 
156  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York 


Form  2463 


November,  IV 16 


